For the most part those buckets and scoops used in material handling applications consists of a pair of sidewalls, a bottom wall which interconnects the sidewalls and provides a forwardly disposed lip or digging edge, and a plurality of teeth fixedly or removably mounted along the forward edge of the backwall lip. The bucket itself is connected to a pivotal arm such as a dipperstick of a backhoe or lift arms of a loader. When the bucket is placed in operation the dipperstick or arm is crowded into an embankment or pile of material so as to force the teeth to penetrate the material. The teeth as such form a wedge to facilitate the bucket engaging and breaking out of the material. As can be appreciated the teeth are exposed to substantial bending stresses and, relative to the main body of the bucket, are rapidly worn away through use.
Heretofore it has been common practice to provide teeth which are especially hardened or configured to resist wear and to mount the teeth in such a manner that the stresses imposed on them are distributed to the maximum extent to the backwalls and the sidewalls of the bucket. Those skilled in the art know that these practices have not been entirely satisfactory. These buckets are often difficult to service in the field. The cost of manufacturing these teeth and the cost of maintaining the bucket in a good working condition have been relatively high. What is needed is a relatively inexpensive bucket design incorporating a set of teeth which are inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, and easy to maintain, particularly in the field or at the job site. A bucket design incorporating all of these features especially one which would increase the useful life of the teeth and one which could serve as a mount for other accessories would be readily accepted by the industry.